Inking-pad.



W. E. CLARKE.

INKING PAD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1914 1,162,721 Patented July 7, 1914,

WILLIAM ELMO CLARKE, OF

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

INKING-IAD.

1 ,JLU2,7 21.

Application filed February To all 11.7mm it may concern Be it kn own that 1, WILLIAM ELMO CLARKE, of the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liking-Pads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in inking pads, and the principal object of my invention is to cheapen the cost of manufacturing articles of this class and to overcome the disadvantages inherent in the ordinary inking pads now on the market.

Another object of my invention is to produce a rectangular shaped inking pad having the maximum area of stamping surface.

Another object of my invention is to construct the ink container substantially the same size as the leaves so that the retained edges or borders of the leaves will be mois tened by the ink container to insure adequate frictional contact between the same so that the said edges or borders can be held securely in place to prevent the wrinkling of the pad.

The construction of my invention will be hereinafter set forth, and what I claim as new will be pointed out in the claims forming: part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan elevation of my pad, and Fl". 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 Fig. 1.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The ordinary inking pad is permanently mounted in a box. and "1 order that the same may be used for a considerable length of time it must be copiously provided with ink. When said pads are new, they supply too much ink to the stamp, with the result that the matter impressed by the same is oftentimes blurred. As it is a common practice to scrape the top of said pads to remove dust and other foreign matter, the result is that the said pad is often worn out before its time thus destroying the utility of the pad. Since the pad is question is permanently mounted in the metal box supporting the same, this box is discarded when the pad is worn out or injured, resulting in waste that can be avoided. Now by means of my invention, 1 provide a pad, constructed as hereinafter specifically described, removably mounted within a suitable metal box,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July "Z, 191d.

5, 1914. Serial No. 816,675.

so that when said pad is used up, another pad may be readily placed in the box after what remains of the old pad has been removed therefrom. Thus it is apparent that the box housing my pad \vill outlast the same indefinitely and as the refill (or pad) can be nn-cha ed at. a less price than the filled box in the first instance, considerable saving results to the consumer.

A is a metal box provided with outward flared sides and ends I; and C, preferably stamped from one piece of material. As is usual, the top of the box is removed to pr0- vide an opening D in such a manner as to provide side and end flanges E and F. The lower edges of the sides B are provided with horizontal flanges G which extend inwardly. The said flanges support the strapepring J which in turn yieldingly supports the plate I. which supports the pad II. This pad H comprises a. plurality of leaves L superim posed one upon the other, and positioned between the said leaves L and the plate I, is the ink container M, which is preferably made of felt or other suitable material which ink to supply the number of leaves comprising: the refill for a reasonable length of time. The leaves T1 are made of suitable fabric preferably that which is closely woven to 'nrovide these leaves with a relatively hard surface, and they may or may not be themselves im n'cgnatcd with ink when originally placed together. A further object of my invention is to cause saturation of the leaves L uniformly throughoutby capillary attraction from the ink container M. From the foregoing part of this specification it will be apparent that the container M will be uniformly saturated with the required stamping fluid and by reason of the close contact of the leaves L with each other and with the said ink container M at all points of their surfaces, by capillary attraction the said leaves will be adequately inked.

When the top or exposed leaf N is useless, it is removed, and the nextleaf thereunder is ready for use. Each leaf as used up can be removed, and when all the leaves L have been used up av new pad or refill will be necessary.

In common with the Ol'flillilty permanent inking pad, the stumping surface of my pad or refill is supplied with ink from the bottom will store the required amount of stamping of the pad.

When my pad or refill H becomes used up, since it is much cheaper to mainifatture than the ordinary pcrn'ianeutly mounted pad, what remains can be discarded and a new relill purchased.

The re-inking of a permanent pad is never very satisfactory, for the very reason that the top of the pad is the only place a fresh supply of ink can be passed into the pad without removing it from its frame, with the result that the said top is provided with too much ink resulting in a blurred impression of the stamp inked thereon.

Should for any reason in pad or container H become dried out Jut not otherwise impaired, the refill can be removed from the frame and the ink container M resaturated.

The side and end flanges and F are preferably sloped inwardly as illustrated so that the sides and ends of the leaves L will be pinched thereunder thus effectually preventing the wrinkling of the leaves.

From the foregoing specification it will be evident that I have produced an article of the class described which can be more cheaply manufactured than any similar article now on the market, and it will be evident that changes in construction may be carried out without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In order that the ink container M may contain a sufiicient amount of the inking fluid to supply th leaves L used therewith, this ink container is made of reater thickness than said leaves, and preferably, though not essentially, it is made of one piece of material.

Each time a leaf L is removed, the new leaf thereunder provides an unused and perfectly fresh inking surface for the stamp. The result is that the removal of a leaf from the pad provides a substantially new pad or refill each time.

It is well known that the lid of the box containing the ordinary permanentlymountcd inking ad is left open a great deal of the time, with the consequence that the stamping surface of this pad becomes clogged with dust, oftentimes rendering it necessary to scrape said stamping surface. This scraping of said stamping surface not only removes considerable ink from the pad, but italso in time wears holes in said stamping surface. Now in my improved inking pad, when the top-most leaf thereof becomes filled with dust and consequently useless, it will be removed thus exposing an entirely fresh leaf. It is therefore evident that the accumulation of dust is the only means which will ordinarily make it necessary to remove a leaf L from time to time, and at no time will it be necessary to scrape the outer surface of the top-most leaf. This fact alone results in considerable saving of 'queut upon the inking fluid, and in making the lifetime of the leaves L, under ordinary conditions, approximately twice that of the inking surface of the ordinary permanently-inounted inking pad.

From th foregoing specification it will be understood that in order that the leaves L be retained properly in place, their edges or borders, particularly since these leaves are substantially of uniform size, must extend well underneath the flanges E and F. This construction necessarily results in the topmost leaf being below the plane occupied by the upper corners of the flanges E and F, and therefore my construction of pad does not expose the edges of the leaves L to wear and abrasion necessarily consethat construction where the leaves extend above the sides of the box or container for the same. The construction justdescribed provides an inking pad having a more or, less protected stamping surface which will not be as liable to soil the hand or cuff of a person working at a desk on which the pad is lyiu There the inking surface of a pad is exposed above the box or container, oftentimes a person unintentionally comes in contact therewith with a disagreeable result.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an inking pad con'iprising a refill formed of a plurality of separable leaves, substantially the same size, made of suitable fabric, superimposed one upon the other; a member made of suitable absorbent material, co-extensive in size with said leaves, saturated with the inking fluichupon whichsaid superimposed leaves are placed; a metal box rectangular in shape, provided with an open top and overhanging downwardly-inclined side and end flanges which overlap the end and sides of said leaves which extend thereunder, the topmost leaf being below the top of said box; a removable plate substantially co-extensive in size with said ink saturated member, and means whereby said plate is remo'ably supported within said box to hold said ink saturated member against said leaves and to cause the ends and sides of said leaves to be clamped underneath said flanges.

2. As aunew article of manufacture, an inking pad comprising a refill formed of a plurality of separable leaves, substantially the same size, made of suitable fabric, superimposed one upon the other; a member made of suitable absorbent material, coextensive in size with said leaves, saturated with the inking fluid, upon which said superimposed leaves are placed; a metal box rectangular in shape, provided with an open top and overhanging downwardly-inclincd side and end flanges which overlap the ends and sides of said leaves which extend thereunder, the topmost leaf being below the top of said box, and further provided with downward-outward flared sides and ends which terminate in inwardly-extending horizontal flanges; a removable plate substantially coextensive in size with said ink saturated member, and a strap spring supported at each end by the said horizontal flanges for the purpose of holding the, parts of said refill Within said box, as set forth. 10 In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM ELMO CLARKE. Witnesses:

EGERTON R. CASE, OLIVE M. BURKINSHAW. 

